


Vulpe Astutiam

by The_Celestial_Embrace



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-30
Updated: 2013-10-30
Packaged: 2017-12-30 22:52:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1024344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Celestial_Embrace/pseuds/The_Celestial_Embrace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Scarlett-Raine Belarin a.k.a Foxface is chosen to compete in the 74th annual Hunger Games, this story shows us her POV of these games.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vulpe Astutiam

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I know I said I wasn't going to write any full stories but Foxface is one of my all-time favourite characters and I've had the basic plan of this story written down for a long time. Right well it's time to start this story, I hope you enjoy!

I'm laying on my back on the yellow-green grass staring up at the white clouds that float up in the sky. I sit up and see that I'm in a small clearing with short grass and lavender flowers all around me, I also notice a blue, crystal-clear lake a few yards away from me. The water is so clear that I can see the numerous varieties of small fish swimming around and getting tangled in the underwater plants. I can see the bright sun reflecting on the water's surface, but it seems too bright. Unnaturally bright.

Suddenly I see a figure running towards me in the distance. They're getting closer by the second. I get to my feet but my body refuses to move, I'm stuck on the spot. Paralyzed with fear. I can tell that it's a girl now, with long black hair floating in the air behind her like she's underwater or something. She's very tall and skinny but she has a bit of muscle on her arms and legs. She's holding something long, something sharp. It's a spear.

No, please not a spear. I see her take an overarm throw and I see the spear fly through the air towards me. I close my eyes and wait for the blow. I feel something jab me in my side but it's definitely not a spear. It isn't pointy at all, it's round and slightly squishy. Oh, it's an elbow.

I have to blink a few times after I finally awaken to let my eyes adjust to the light. I say light but I really mean is the sun shining through the gaps in the window blinds. I'm on my bed laying under a thin light blue sheet. My brother is to my right, still asleep but wriggling about, constantly touching me with his movements. I can the see the sunlight on his pale wrists, his green and purple veins visible. He's now tucked up in a ball and seems so small and vulnerable . I guess he must've had a nightmare during the night and came to cuddle with me like he always does. I pretend it annoys me but in truth it gives me comfort and makes me feel safer. What a joke, nothing is safe, especially not today. I wonder what time it is, and I want to stay in bed and pretend that today is just a normal day, that there isn't a possibility that I will be chosen to compete in a televised fight to the death in an arena with 23 other kids set out to kill me. But I can't do that. I try to get up as gently as possible but damn Corbin is such a light sleeper.

"What time is it?" He asks in an annoyed tone.  
"Only seven, go back to sleep" I whisper, not wanting to wake mam or dad.

I get my best grey dress out of the cupboard and try to get rid of any creases. I lay it over a chair while I go to set out my mother's, father's and Corbin's clothes since I have nothing better to do. I step out of the back door into our little garden where I leave empty bottles to collect fresh rainwater. I gather the filled bottles and one by one I pour the water into a large saucepan and boil over out fire. As I wait for the water to boil I collect wood from the shed to add to our small fire. I like to watch the flames dance around making crackle and pop sounds. I find these noises comforting for an unknown reason. Once all of the water has been boiled and poured into our medium-sized bathtub, I strip off my clothes and climb into the hot water. As much as I would love to spend all day bathing in the warm water I that there will soon be three other people wanting their baths too. I scrub myself clean with our newly bought sponge as I lather the lemon scented soap onto my skin. I make sure to wash my long red hair thoroughly as it's going to be down instead of tied back today. 

I climb out of the tub and use one of the older, scratchier towels to dry myself. Once I am completely dry I carefully put on my dress. It's a long pale grey dress that reaches a little further than my knees. There are little swirls on the upper chest area with a slight ruffle towards the end. I love how plain it is. 

I go into my room to get what might become my district token, my amber brooch. It's piece of circular amber with silver vines encircling it. When my great granddad was fighting in the great war his fiancé gave him the brooch as a good luck token and when I was ten he gave it to me. I love the way it matches my hair and the way it shines in sunlight. 

I can hear someone stirring now so I get up from my chair and go back outside once more to get some nice fresh air. As I'm looking at the fence that blocks our garden from joining with a beautiful forest I spot something with red fur lurking behind a tree. It's a fox, a beautiful red fox that's about the size of a medium dog. It's light yellow-orange eyes lock onto mine and we stare at each other for what seems like forever but in reality is only a few seconds. 

I hear my mothers tired voice call to me and I head back inside. It's now half past nine and time for us to leave, the reaping starts at ten sharp. We walk down the tarmac road along with many other families. I can see the worried expressions on their faces, and I can tell they're imagining that they will be chosen to compete in the match of death. I wonder who will be chosen this year, there are so many young children who are over the age limit and it's saddening to think of two twelve year olds dying in an arena at the hands of humans or worse, mutts. I guess I'm lucky that Corbin is only nine now, he still has three years to go. My name is in the reaping bowl four times, which isn't bad but it's not very good either. Hopefully the envelope for the girl tribute doesn't contain my name. I wouldn't know what to do if I were in the games, I haven't got any experience with any weapons apart from regular kitchen knives. I doubt I'd be any good with a bow and arrow, you need to be very patient when training with a bow but unfortunately patience isn't one of my key attributes. I almost laugh out loud at the thought of me using a sword or an axe, I just imagine myself fumbling around with the heavy weapon taking down trees and accidentally chopping off squirrels tails. 

As we approach the Hall of Justice I know I must give a little blood to be identified. I walk slowly up to the woman in white and extend my hand out, she pricks my index finger quickly, then dabs my finger a piece of paper. She then scans the blood on the paper with a handheld machine and it confirms who I am and I can go to stand with the other fifteen year old girls. This is it.

I can see our district's escort on the stage, Reinetta Thorwell-Fay, she's trying to smile and look patient but her bored eyes give away the façade. She's dressed in a long green gown and she has bright green lipstick on her enlarged lips. She has blood red tattoos running down her visible arms, they look like vines and I think they look quite cool. Her lair is down and is an icy blue. Her chemically altered golden eyes look over the children eligible to compete almost as if she's placing bets on who will be chosen, and it makes me grow new hatred for her.

Once everyone has arrived and settled down, she announces that she has a video for us to watch, as always. So we watch the old clip as we've done for many years and I mime along to Presidents Snow's voice. 

Once the film ends she taps twice on the microphone to gather attention, then she walks over to the bowl on her left.

"Lets start with the boys!" She says in an annoying perky tone. She dips her hand with her newly painted nails into the glass bowl and latches on to a small envelope. The audience is awaiting in fear and she undoes the clasp and speaks the name of the male tribute.

"Ronan Elvette!" She exclaims in her squeaky voice. I know Ronan he's fifteen too but I'm a few months older than him, he's in my class at school. He steps onto the stage confidently and shakes hands with Reinetta. Here it comes.

"Time for the girls!" She says, her voice echoing around us. She seems to be a little bit pickier with this bowl as she swirls her hand around and picks one before dropping it to choose another. When she finds one she likes she pulls her hand out of the bowl in a swift motion, undoes the clasp and then reads out the name. Please don't be me, I pray.

"Cassidy Lovelette!" She says. Wait I know her, she died of an infection two days ago, her parents must not have had the time to take her name out. I can see a peacekeeper explaining the situation to Reinetta now. 

"Um since Cassidy isn't here with us today I'll have to choose another female tribute. She picks out another small envelope, opens it and reads the name.

"Scarlett-Raine Belarin" She announces, and with that my world crumbles. I move past the other girls to get to the pathway up to the stage. I make my emotions hidden and make my face stoic and statuesque, they can't see my fear.

I join Reinetta and Ronan on the stage and take what is possibly my last look at the families and friends whom I know and love as I try to deal with the fact that my death is practically set in stone.

**Author's Note:**

> There we have it! Please comment and tell me what you think.


End file.
